On Friday, Trump used emergency powers to direct the Department of Homeland Security to reallocate funds to pay TSA workers, who make an average of $49,000 per year.
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Border czar Tom Homan has said that Transportation Security Administration (TSA) airport screeners could begin receiving paychecks as soon as Monday or Tuesday, following executive action taken by President Donald Trump.
Speaking on CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday, Homan revealed that there is a plan to see TSA officers get paid, saying they can “hopefully” receive paychecks by “tomorrow or Tuesday.”
“It’s good news, because these TSA officers are struggling. They can’t feed their families or pay the rent,” Homan explained. “They’re sitting there right now, working very hard, not being paid by members of Congress [who are] out on vacation getting paid. It’s ridiculous.”
On Friday, Trump used emergency powers to direct the Department of Homeland Security to reallocate funds to pay TSA workers, who make an average of $49,000 per year. Workers have not received a full paycheck since February 14, and have not received any pay since February 28.
The move follows a funding impasse in Congress. The Senate recently passed a bill to fund most DHS operations but excluded Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Senate Republicans anticipated they could use the reconciliation process to bypass the filibuster and fund those agencies without Democratic support.
However, House Republicans rejected this plan and instead passed a 60-day stopgap measure to fund all DHS operations while negotiations continue. The Senate has since left for a two-week recess, leaving the situation unresolved.
Homan also called for broader action to ensure all DHS personnel receive pay.
“Let’s pay the rest of the Homeland Security. You know, you got the Coast Guard, you got CISA [Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency]. You got the men and women of Secret Service. You got a lot of people working for the Department of Homeland Security that [aren’t] getting paid,” Homan added. “ICE officers, they’ll be getting paid. But how about the mission support people, the people that keep the lights on and do all the things that they have to do so ICE agents can go out and do their job.”
